Chinese President Elevates Aide In Show Of Strength Ahead Of Communist Party Congress – AP

From AP, via International Herald Tribune:

Chinese President and Communist Party chief Hu Jintao has elevated a key aide to a sensitive position in a show of influence ahead of a major Communist Party congress next month.

In a one sentence report on Wednesday, the official Xinhua News Agency said Ling Jihua had been named head of the General Office of the party’s Central Committee, the main executive body in charge of running the party.

Ling, 50, replaces Wang Gang, who at 65 had reached the mandatory retirement age for officials not being promoted into the party’s uppermost ranks. [Full Text]